Processing facilities are often managed using process control systems. Example processing facilities include chemical, pharmaceutical, paper, and petrochemical production plants. Among other operations, process control systems typically interact with and control industrial equipment in the processing facilities, such as equipment used to produce chemical, pharmaceutical, paper, or petrochemical products.
To facilitate efficient use of the industrial equipment in a processing facility, a process control system is often used to automate execution of various production processes. Processing facilities often implement one or multiple fast-paced and high-value production processes. This often demands a procedure automation solution that is highly flexible and that can ensure timely execution of the production processes. However, aggressive real-time requirements typically cannot be met with conventional automation solutions, which often rely on supervisory personal computer technology to control the production processes.